Guarding Our Animal Wealth: A Keeper’s Perspective
Dr. Simant Kumar Nanda, Bhubaneswar
Since the dawn of civilization, man and animal have lived side by side. Before cities and machines, they shared the same wilderness, water, and wind. Their instincts were once the same, to find food, to protect the young, and to live by the rhythm of nature. From that ancient kinship grew the roots of civilization itself. When man settled beside rivers and began to cultivate the earth, animals stood beside him as partners. Together they carried the weight of progress, the ox ploughed, the buffalo hauled, the cow fed, the goat clothed, and the dog guarded.
Thus began the story of animal wealth, or Pashudhan, a living treasure that shaped rural economies, inspired festivals, and became part of human emotion and culture. In India, the cow was not just a source of milk but a symbol of motherhood. The bull was worshipped as Nandi, the divine servant of Lord Shiva. Even today, in villages across the country, people decorate their cattle on Gopashtami, offer prayers, and treat them as members of the family.
For any true farmer or animal keeper, animals are not merely units of production. They are companions who breathe life into the household. Guarding them is both an economic and emotional act. To protect one’s animals from disease, theft, or loss is to protect one’s livelihood and one’s heart.
A real animal keeper knows every member of his herd by name, by their sound, by the light in their eyes. He can tell when a cow feels low, when a goat refuses to chew, or when a dog’s bark carries a note of unease. Guarding begins with such understanding. It does not start with a fence or a chain; it starts with care, attention, and time.
In most villages, the cattle shed is the heart of the home. Farmers clean it daily, offer fresh straw, and let their animals graze freely under the sun. They light fires in winter to keep them warm and water them before drinking themselves. These small acts, passed from generation to generation, are not learned in veterinary schools. They are learned through love and experience. They form an unwritten science that belongs to the field.
When animals fall ill, it is often the owner who senses it first from a change in appetite or an unusual silence. He may not know the scientific name of the disease, but he knows when something is wrong. In many parts of rural India, traditional healers, herders, and women have their own remedies, turmeric for wounds, neem smoke for insects, jaggery for weakness, or mustard oil for cold. These are not superstitions but the living memory of field knowledge refined over centuries.
Guarding animal wealth also means guarding it against greed and neglect. In recent years, theft and illegal trade of cattle, goats, and poultry have affected poor families who depend on them. That is why many farmers sleep near their sheds, hang lanterns at night, and tie bells to their animals so they can hear if danger comes. Their vigilance is not only for economic safety, it is born out of love, habit, and duty.
Pets too form a part of this wider circle of animal wealth. In towns and cities, dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits bring silent joy to human lives. They heal loneliness, reduce anxiety, and offer loyalty that no machine or medicine can give. Feeding them, playing with them, and caring for them enrich our emotional health. Science now confirms what experience has long shown, that animals help reduce stress hormones and improve mental well being. A man who learns to feed an animal learns compassion itself.
Protecting and guarding animals, therefore, is not only the work of veterinarians or government officers. It is the shared responsibility of every keeper, farmer, and citizen. Modern veterinary science and traditional experience must go hand in hand. When technology, awareness, and empathy come together, the result is stronger animal health and better human happiness.
In today’s era, the concept of One Health has made the role of animals even more important. Human, animal, and environmental health are deeply interconnected. Diseases, nutrition, and ecosystems influence each other. Therefore, the responsibility of the animal keeper has increased greatly. Clean housing, proper feeding, vaccination, and ethical care are no longer just good practices, they are essential parts of a healthy community.
That is where Pashudhan Praharee, the magazine dedicated to livestock protection and welfare, plays a vital role. True to its name, it stands as a sentinel of animal wealth, a bridge between the scientific and the practical. By publishing research findings, case studies, and field experiences, it connects the knowledge of the expert with the wisdom of the herder. It brings to light the voices of those who guard their animals day and night, often unseen and unheard.
Pashudhan Praharee also works to enlighten both keepers and veterinarians to work jointly for the cause of animal guardianship. Veterinarians, in particular, should intensify their research and field activities in the interest of animal keepers. The emergence of ethnoveterinary practices has further strengthened this collaboration. By respecting indigenous knowledge and combining it with modern science, we can achieve sustainable and compassionate animal health care.
Through its pages, Pashudhan Praharee reminds us that animal wealth is not a static possession. It is a living partnership between man, nature, and compassion. It inspires veterinarians to think beyond prescriptions and animal keepers to learn beyond habit. It celebrates the silent bond that built civilization and continues to sustain it.
To guard our animal wealth is, therefore, to guard the moral and emotional wealth of humanity itself. From the humble shed of a village farmer to the research tables of a modern veterinarian, the message remains the same, care, protect, and respect those who make our lives possible. When animals thrive, the world becomes a kinder, fuller, and more humane place to live in.
